In an effort to achieve a higher degree of automation in domestic and commercial waste collection, such as garbage and recyclable material collection for instance, many cities have encouraged the use of standardized waste containers which can be mechanically picked up and emptied into an associated garbage truck or recycling truck, for instance, which is mechanically adapted for handling the waste container. This has rendered automated washing of containers more accessible.
An example of a vehicle which is specifically adapted to clean waste containers in a highly automated manner is described in published US Patent application no. 2008/0105761 (Pierre Amestoy et al.).
One main challenge in rendering waste container washing vehicles commercially appealing resides in increasing the autonomy thereof—i.e. the amount of waste containers washable, or wash cycles, between servicings—because of the substantial amount of machine/operator time and fuel required to send the waste container washing vehicle to servicing and return it to its waste container washing route. Increasing the maximum amount of washing water the washing vehicle carries poses practical limits. A challenge thus resides in using less washing water for each washing cycle while achieving a washing of a satisfactory quality.
Using a limited amount of water for each washing cycle has been addressed, for example in aforementioned publication no. US 2008/0105761, by using a finite number of spray washing nozzles at predetermined positions, and by positioning spray washing nozzles on a rotary head to achieve a generally uniform washing on 360° inside the waste container.
Generally, although known waste container washing vehicles were satisfactory to a certain degree, there remained room for improvement in achieving combined results of high autonomy and high washing quality, as well as overall operability.